Mary Gasser '08

As Dr. Mary Gasser ‘08 looks back on her years at Oakcrest, she says that her education helped shape the woman she is today, especially through the formation she received from her teachers. 

“Every teacher imparted her own touch on my development,” Mary said. “So many were mentors and motivated to drive my success.”

Two teachers in particular, chemistry and physics teacher Dr. Arundhati Jayarao, and history and politics teacher Ms. Mary Quinlan, helped set Mary on the path she is on today. 

“Dr. Arundhati Jayarao played a crucial role in fostering my love of the sciences and supporting STEM summer internships, which started me on my path to medicine,” she said. “Ms. Mary Quinlan helped me discover my curiosity about history and politics while making the material engaging.”

After graduation from Oakcrest in 2008, Mary attended the University of Virginia and received a Bachelor of Arts in foreign affairs and chemistry. She then commissioned into the United States Army in 2013 and went on to attend medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. Mary completed her residency in Internal Medicine and was board-certified in 2020. 

Currently, Mary is finishing her first tour as an internist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland with a co-assignment as the physician for an infantry battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In the coming months she will transition to a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas. 

“My current position entails a mix of caring for patients in a clinic setting, educating and

supervising physicians-in-training, and serving as the medical expert for my infantry Battalion,” Mary said. “I also had the privilege of serving in Eastern Europe for five months in 2022 as part of the Immediate Response Force deployment of the NATO alliance where I was the physician for our battalion’s soldiers and an advisor to my command on medical related issues. I love patient care, in addition to the adventure and variety of my different roles. The last three years have built my confidence and competencies, and I am blessed to have a vocation that allows me the opportunities to serve in many different ways.” 

Mary says that her Oakcrest education was a special formation that continues to contribute to her work today. 

“First, (Oakcrest) gave me a clear appreciation for the diversity of life and thought beyond my future field of expertise,” she explains. “The practical education in learning how to communicate effectively and think critically has been crucial in my work every day. My Oakcrest education laid the groundwork for my ability to approach my patients holistically, appreciate the broader perspective on the scope of my actions, and understand orders of magnitude of effects. The education in faith and morality gave me the underpinning to fall back upon in situations that have tested me since entering the world outside a faith-based community.” 

Fondly remembering her Oakcrest experiences, such as her three-person AP Chemistry class, or spending time with her class in the old senior loft, Mary participated in soccer, chorus, and the National, Spanish, and Mathematics honor societies as a student. Another highlight she remembers is meeting her graduation speaker, Immaculée Ilibagiza.

To the graduating seniors, Mary hopes to impart this knowledge: “Expect to be challenged and criticized by the culture and the people around you. Prepare to make decisions to do what is right that require sacrifice, hardships or impact to your career or life. Pray and remember what is truly important – and you will make the right choice despite the consequences. Do not let uncertainty of what is new or unknown stop you: we only improve ourselves when we are challenged. Do not be afraid.”